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Review of the Glock 19

November 9, 2012 by

Before I purchased my first firearm, I did a lot of research.  I went to a few gun stores and held them to make sure I liked the feel.  Doing these two things helped me narrow down the list of guns I was interested in.  I then found a range that rented guns and rented my top three choices.  I chose the Glock 19.  I thought I would share some of the reasons I bought a Glock.

 

Specifications

Caliber:                9mm
Barrel:                  4.02 inches
Overall length:    6.85 inches
Weight:                 20.99 ounces empty
Grip:                      polymer
Action:                  Glock Safe Action
Capacity:              15+1
Price:                     $599-$699

Trustworthiness and Reliability

As I mentioned, I did plenty of research before I decided on a Glock 19.  What I found was that Glock is the most commonly issued pistol in law enforcement (most law enforcement carry a .40 rather than the 9mm Glock 19).  I also found that the Glock 19 is used by Israeli special forces.  Glock, in general, and the Glock 19 specifically, is used by countless police and security organizations around the world.  These agencies have strict standards and put potential firearms through stress tests. Knowing this and knowing that they use Glock speaks volumes to me.  In the complete Book of Autopistols, August 2010 edition, the author called the Glock 19 the “Quintessential combat handgun”.  James Yeager, the CEO of Tactical Response, a firearm training company that provides tactical training worldwide, has a saying that goes something like; “All handguns should be Glocks, all Glocks should be 9mm and all 9mm should be Glock 19’s.”  I do understand that some of the above is due to personal preference, but that preference is developed from shooting hundreds of thousands of rounds.

 

Concealment

I carry concealed for a reason; I don’t want anyone to know I am carrying, especially Joe Dirtbag.  For this reason, I chose the compact Glock 19.   With the polymer GLOCK Sport Combat Holster you cannot easily tell I’m carrying.  Depending on what I am wearing you might be able to tell from behind me, but you would have to be looking for it.

 

Stopping Power

Some might say a 9mm doesn’t have enough stopping power.  If you are trained and can hit what your aiming at, and are using self-defense loads that dump their kinetic energy into the target so the round does maximum damage and stays in the target, then a 9mm has plenty of stopping power.

 

Maintenance

The Glock is, by far, the easiest handgun I have disassembled, cleaned and reassembled.  We own a Walther .22 handgun and, while it’s a decent gun to shoot, it requires a special tool to disassemble.  Once you learn how to take the Glock apart, you can do so in seconds.  Once apart cleaning and greasing it are also very easy.

 

My Take:

I really like this firearm.  I have put thousands of rounds down range and have not had a single failure.  My wife also has a Glock 19 and has only had one failure.  Liking them is one thing, but we and so many others trust them with our lives.  That might sound a little dramatic, but I mean it.  If I am ever in a situation where I need to use a firearm to defend myself, I will be glad that I have my Glock 19.

If you don’t like the feel of the polymer grip, you can fix that with a bicycle inner-tube placed over it.  I was shown this by a firearms instructor and have since done it to all my handguns as it really helps.

 

I happily give the Glock 19 four stars.

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

 

Filed Under: Reviews, Security Tagged With: ,

Prepare!

November 7, 2012 by

Today’s article was written by a visitor named Gill Rapoza.  It was originally written to be emailed to a group of Christian friends, and he has given me permission to post it for all of you to read.

Thank you Gill!

 

Prepare!

By Gill Rapoza

Updated October 31st, 2012

I think this will become my own personal annual Prepare article.  I wrote the original a bit over a year ago.  I will update it yearly as needed.

A reoccurring theme in many of my commentaries for articles others write as well as in my own personal writings is that we would be wise to be prepared for whatever comes our way.  Perhaps it is because I am retired now that I have more time to read, study, and ponder.  Though I have recently began driving buses part time this month.  Perhaps it is, in part, because I have had some newer very good sources I did not read years earlier.  And also in part, I have had some marvelous exchanges with some of you that are members of this list.  And that would include some that I could call part time and indirect members.  There is just a wealth of information out there that many of you also hold.

This article is not so much a how to do things, but it is a how you should think and not go into shock when things happen.  And they will sooner or later, greater or smaller.  Being prepared gives you an advantage over most people.  It may help you keep your family and self out of harms way, or at least help you cope better if you end up there.  This article is only the basics to give you ideas.

I have concerns about where this country and possibly our Western civilization are going and have gone.  For the most part our morals and ethics are shot.  More importantly, we as a nation have left God out of the picture and we now very much do what is right in our own eyes.  How long will God keep up a hedge around America under these conditions?  I wish I knew.  Often enough God allows His own a way out, or a way to prepare and protect themselves.  Unless of course they join in with the bad guys.  In those cases they often get some or all of the coming judgment themselves.

I came to the realization many years ago that America is not found in Scripture.  Not in the New Testament, and not in the Old Testament.  There are minor hints of places where we might be, but really, I don’t think we are there.  If this is true, then when the time of the Second Coming arrives, I don’t see a nation of note here.  I have had some good, and civil debates on this topic.  One of the counters I hear is that it will not matter, because the Church will not be here in the end anyhow.  I have had some good exchanges there too.  I disagree, but I am not going to go into detail in this article.  All of the recent exchanges on that topic have been civil, thank you.  But either way, we have tribulation now among the members of the Church.  America has mostly been protected thus far, but God’s mercy does not last forever for those who will not turn to Him.  That is a point to remember well.

I would like to look at the possibilities of what may, not must, come our way.  Keep in mind that to be prepared is not just a motto for the Boy Scouts.

 

Natural Disasters

The 2011 quakes and tsunamis in Japan were awful.  9.0 is a very big quake.  Some 15,000 plus were confirmed dead.  And the numbers may have been higher.  Over 90,000 lost their homes, in part or completely.  If ever there were a people who prepare, it would be the Japanese.  As much as they lost, it would have been worse if at least some preparation were not done.  Contrast that to Haiti.  Haiti had a smaller quake in magnitude, 7.0, yet many more ended up dead.  The Haitian government gave a number of well over 300,000 dead, and twice as many, says the UN, ended up in refugee camps.  Who was prepared and what was the result?  The Japanese clearly had a better system in place, and they still could not overcome everything.  BTW, the Haitians are still in a mess, while the Japanese did a lot of rebuilding.

In our own United States we watched the people in the New Orleans area on TV as they had many reactions to the hurricane, and almost all of them were wrong.  For whatever reasons, a good portion of the residents did not leave when advised that the dikes were failing.  I would be reluctant to leave home myself, but there comes a point when reasonable decisions have to be made.  A big failure among those living below the water level in New Orleans itself was waiting for someone to come get them.  A larger failure was government officials at several levels that neglected to do anything until after the fact.

Many of us will recall large groups of people we saw on TV collectively calling out, “help, help, help” instead of figuring out something to do.  Additionally, in the New Orleans incident, officials took it upon themselves to force people out of their homes after the fact in areas they were not in danger.  Residents who had enough food and shelter had their personal weapons forcefully taken from them in some cases.  Looting was wide spread.  I have a video of two women police officers looting in a Wal-Mart.  The failure to prepare was astounding, and acting right was out of the question for too many.  We will return to the New Orleans incident later.

Know what you will do in the case of natural disasters.  Have a plan to stay in place and another to go some other place.

 

Supplies of All Sorts

If you have in your preparedness plan that when anything bad happens that Uncle Sugar, or some local gov entity will come to save you, you might as well not bother.  You will not be ready if the Cavalry does not show up on time if that is your thought plan.  If you have the idea you may have to do it yourself in the time of a great disaster or tragedy, you will more likely do much better.  The gov folks may come, but don’t make any bets on it.  You may be the only help that can or will do anything.

Have enough food supplies that you can either sit tight for at least a week or two, or have stuff you can take with you that will last a few days or so if you are going to relocate.  I certainly recommend a lot more than a week or two, but if that is what you have, it is a start.  If all you have food wise are the staples, then you will be among those that have enough.  God did not make us so that we actually need more than the basics.  We just like it when we have many food varieties.  When Jesus taught people to ask God for “our daily bread,” He meant our basics.  You can go a long way on basics.  The same with clothing.  Good durable clothing can go a lot further than the high priced stuff in the fancy stores.  Know what is needed to keep warm, or cool, or will withstand work.

If you use prescription meds that are essential for survival, you will want to plan on having enough if everything is shut down for a bit.  Some meds need certain temps to last.  You may have to think about how you will store those.

 

Political Parties – Government Entities

Never rely on political parties!  Never reply on government officials or departments for every need.  Sometimes they are the same, by the way.  Hitler made some amazing promises to the German people in the 1930’s.  And he did some good.  He was a great orator and got the highways in great shape.  That did not make him a good guy.  He was one dirty, rotten, evil, son of a gun.  I don’t care what good he did in bringing the German people together for their national pride, who by the way as a whole were no better or worse than the rest of us.  In reality, he was an ungodly, national socialist, dictator.  They only had one political party when Adolph became the big boss.  If you do not think it could happen here then you may want to check for trauma.  You may have bumped your head.

Chairman Mao Tse Tung – evil all the way through.  We heard less about him than Hitler because of the closed society he ruled over, but he killed at least 45 million of his own countrymen by an assortment of ways, including executions, tortures, and starvation.  Hundreds of thousands showed up at his rallies, carrying his “Little Red Book,” but that did not make up for his evil deeds by any means.  In Red China, you were “red or dead”.  The people were convinced that the government and the political party would save them.  They were not prepared and believed what they were told.  BTW, you might recall that a couple of years back somebody in DC had Christmas ornaments dedicated to Mao.

Do we think we are we smarter than the Germans or the Chinese?  I hope not.  Prepare for what comes your way including from political parties and government entities.  It CAN happen anyplace!

No matter how good they sound, and no matter what they promise, they are bound to fail you when it counts.  People will say and do all types of things, which will never work in the end.  All societies fall apart sooner or later.  The more corrupt ones may be sooner, but some of those take too long.  Know what you will do and what you will or will not tolerate in any society or system.  Do not accept or tolerate evil!

 

Locations

It is wise to look around you, where you live, and what is available to meet your needs.  Part of being prepared is knowing what you have available in the place you live.

As a rule cities have a lot more of a variety of goods and services when times are good.  Sometimes things are cheaper too, though not always.  However, there is a lot to be said for the rural areas, particularly when things are not so good.  In the 1970’s in too many areas there was fuel rationing, at least here in California.  You could only get gas every other day in San Diego.  I recall one day after filling up the tank that our family took a little visit the next county, Imperial, which was VERY rural then.  There were no issues with getting gas, no rationing, and no long lines in the Imperial Valley.  On trips driving across the country, earlier in the 1970’s, I took my family through many big and small places.  I found people to be much more civil in the rural areas than the big cities.  I will always recall one smaller town outside of Tulsa, where we broke down.  The guy in the service station not only went out of his way to help, but he gave me the keys to his truck to drive the supplies I needed to my truck.  Experiences like this greatly influence my personal preferences for the smaller places.  Even through you do not always get what you want all the time, you most always get what you need.  I have found the civility to more than outweigh not getting every thing you want.

Some of the articles I have posted and some of those I only read for my own information say you should move to a place like Montana, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, and even parts of Northern New England, particularly Vermont, New Hampshire, and some of Maine.  No one says Massachusetts or Southern California that I can recall.  More on this below.

 

Society Breaks Apart

The unexpected can creep up and mob mentality takes over quickly.  If you are at a large gathering of nearly any sorts, things can go haywire.  Sometimes it may be after a sports team loses a big game, and even if they win.  People sometimes take it upon themselves to do some very stupid things when in a crowd, and most always when it is a mob.  Part of my personal and regular observations in an area where there are a lot of people is to know where I want to stand or sit, which is generally on the outside or back, or where I can see the exits.  And I tend to watch who is around me.  The one and only Tea Party rally I went to, I purposely was off to the side and near the rear.  There was no issue there I had to be concerned about, but it is a good thing to keep your eyes open.  That San Francisco baseball fan that was kicked into unconsciousness by a couple of LA baseball fans last year certainly did not expect to be badly beaten just for having a jersey from the other team.  Preparing by leaving yourself an exit is always good.  I think the guy that got beaten at Dodger Stadium was attempting that, but too late.

Those were the short instances.  What about when things break apart for a longer term?  There were a lot of innocent people attacked and 53 killed during what was called the Rodney King riots.  People who had nothing to do with the King case, and nothing to do with the LAPD officers case, took to the streets.  They maimed, burned, robbed, rioted, beat and even killed other people who had nothing to do with either case.  Those involved used it as an excuse to do all the harm they could, because there was no police presence to stop them.  Many of us still recall the beatings several motorists took, recorded on videotape by the news helicopters.  The police did not respond, because it was not safe.  That means the populace was on their own.  I do not know that I could have made a better choice than the motorists I saw running lights and knocking people over with their cars who were bent on attacking them.  It was a short plan and the only thing they had time for prep wise was that they planned on getting out of there alive.  Works for me.

Among those I saw prepared were a small group of Korean store owners.  They stood or sat in front of their small business, or on the roofs, with shotguns and .45s in hand.  No one expected that reaction, but those mom and pop store keeps thought of it.  It did not end until many other departments and several thousand California National Guard backed the LAPD.  The riots lasted nearly a week.  Very few had the foresight of those business owners, and I say good for them.  That was 1992, here in America.

There were many New Orleans area residents that had a similar attitude to the shop keeps.  I don’t think any of them expected to see police officers illegally confiscating their legal weapons.  I read someplace that some hid their weapons from the police, but I do not know that for a fact.  More on that topic below.

For the extreme case of society coming apart, there can never be enough preparations.  I am growing some of my own food, not much, but I am working on it.  I have a fair water source if I needed right here.  I don’t have all that I think would be handy in a complete societal breakdown, but I have more work to do, and may for a long time.  In the case of what is called “TEOTWAWKI” (The End Of The World As We Know It) where there is no society, or recognizable governmental authority, or at least not a citizen friendly one, once again you are on your own.  This is one scenario none of us ever expect, but some of us think about it.  It certainly can come our way.  I am not going to go into great details in this article, but if TEOTWAWKI hits, you become the police department, the fire department, the doctor, the farmer, the small business trader, and more, like it or not.  Personally, I would not be too surprised if TEOTWAWKI hits in my lifetime right here.  America has offended God so much and so often that He is bound to pull His protection from us sooner or later at the rate we are going.

If the One World Government actually takes place, if we become complete socialists or communists as a nation, or if the country gets taken over by a corrupt dictatorship, (and we are partly there in several of these), you will not recognize the place where we live.  It CAN happen here.  The Chinese are a much bigger country population wise and the reds got them.  You will need to prepare yourself and your family as to what you will do.  Personally, I think there would be a break-up of the nation into smaller pieces and new nations if that happened, but it is hard to call.  Those that study this sort of event vary between three or as many as ten new nations in place of the one America as to what will come of it.  If I saw that coming, I would want to get out of Southern California.  My retirement income would not be there anyhow if the stuff hits the fan.

 

Weapons

In any case or level of being prepared, the topic of weapons will come up.  Some can handle them and some not.  Some do not like them in their homes in any case.  If it is TEOTWAWKI, or just a home protection weapon, I believe they are beneficial.  When the Korean storeowners stopped the rioters, thieves and rapist from entering their business, it was the shotgun and the .45 that sang that song.  There might have been other weapons that sang the harmony.  It was not because they talked the bad guys out of it, and not because they called the police, because the police did not show up for days in some cases.  It was because they meant business and had the tools to prove it!  In the best-case scenario, as a rule, when the police are needed in seconds they will arrive in minutes.

I have only pulled a weapon on someone at my door once in my life.  He ran away, and I was happy about it.  I was thankful I did not need to shoot anyone, and I did not even point it at the intruder.  When the bad guy saw what was in my hand, it helped considerably.  I told the local sheriff’s deputy what I did, and he was real good about it.  I don’t know I would have told anyone if I lived in a big city.  The rural life works well for me in this too.

There is a woman I knew who works a local business.  Somehow the conversation got around to people that carry weapons for protection.  She said she liked the idea but was afraid that she did not know how to use one and a bad guy would take it from her.  Could be.  That is why part of being prepared means to know your weapon.  You have to also know in you mind that you could take a life if you had to.  That does not mean you ever would want to, but there is no reason to carry or to even have one in the home if you can not come to that last resort point.

I am not going to go into details here on what you should carry or keep in the home for protection.  The one that works best for you that you can safely handle is the one you want.  We can go into details later individually if any ask me.

I had someone ask me some time back if I should have a weapon as a Christian, that I might rather trust God for protection.  I have a couple of stock answers for that.  One is that I trust God will keep my hands steady and my mind clear if I should ever need to use one against another person.  The other is I tell people that Peter was packing.  When Jesus asked His followers if they had any weapons, they said they had two.  Jesus did not say get rid of them, but said they had enough.  Another good reply is that while I trust God for my healing when I get sick or injured, I still go to the doctor.  One of the Jesus’ close twelve was a doctor, Luke.

 

Investments: Land, Gold, Silver, Other

I have spoken with and exchanged emails with at least several people asking me what I thought about investments.  I will speak of my own experiences first, and it may not be the same for every one.  About 25 years ago, more or less, I invested in a couple of acres of land in the country.  Even back then I was thinking it could be a place to raise the family and eventually do something with it when I retired.  I paid a very reasonable price for it back then, and I added a modest home to it in 1990.  It is all paid off and has been for several years.  That was my biggest investment.  It had gone way up in value, and down a bit too.  But unless someone offers me something way over priced for it, I do not have a reason to sell it.  Paid is a wonderful word.  I did not buy fancy cars, boats or much else big through the years.  I focused on my main investment, a permanent home where no one bothers me as a rule.  It was one of the best things I could do to prepare.

I don’t play the stock market, because I don’t like the idea of taking big chances.  I have some 401K retirement funds that I can withdraw in a couple of years without a penalty.  If I ever get back to work full time, which is my goal, I know I can manage on my retirement, and would put near all the rest into some type of savings, just in case.  Part of good prep is to never spend just because you can.  I would love buy a new rifle (or a few) and take some nice long trips, but good prep says I don’t spend what I do not have.

The topic of gold and silver has come up with a few folks also.  I have limited expertise at best, and I would be very happy to listen to any who have more experience than I.  Gold or silver almost never go down from what I have seen.  If nothing else, it has the tendency to at least keep up with inflation.  I am aware that at certain times gold coins or bullion has been outlawed for most, and the US went off the gold and the silver standard a long time ago.

If somebody up top nationally got a bug to ban personal gold stores again, and got their wish, lots of things could change.  I see that the value of gold or silver will go up for those that held it.  It is possible that a law could be passed that says all US gold or silver coins will only be worth face value, legally.  That is going to be a problem for some.  The black market on gold or silver could go crazy.

But here is a twist or two.  Coins from other countries, say Canadian, or Swiss valuable metal coins might not be in that category, as they are not legal tender here.  They are just collector and investment coins.  So long as there was not another regulation saying it was illegal to hold foreign gold or silver coins, those with those coins might be safe.  I am not telling anyone to invest in anything, but if I chose gold or silver, it would only be the coins or Troy once pieces I could hold in my own hand.  The big bars would not be tradable in many circumstances because of the size, weight, and value of each.  If anyone were to buy any of these things, it may be wise to check that you got a good price without some big commission built it.

Good preparation requires that one think carefully in any kind of investment.

 

The Law

There are all kinds of things that involve laws of one sort or another.  This is the part where I am going to ask you to think for yourself.  I will never ask you to violate any law, but I will suggest taking into consideration God’s Law vs man’s law.  I will suggest you look at ethics and morality in individual laws.  Part of your wanting to prepare is to think what you might do in different circumstances.  Not every one will have the same thought or reactions as you.

Some laws are exactly what they should be.  It is illegal in every state to commit murder.  It is illegal to commit armed robbery.  But also in just about every place in this nation a woman may without cause, TERMINATE the child she carries within her.  Is that lawful?  Legally yes.  But is there a moral or ethical consideration?  Yes to that as well.  How about a Biblical standard?  Yes there too.  In the Law that Moses gave, that was a life and a death penalty case.  How prepared are you to think of the law in those ways?

 

Suppose there was a national or state law that said you had 30 days to turn in all weapons, like they did in Australia?  There would be no exceptions, save for the very few higher ranking officials, those that protect them, and some police officers.  Would you choose to take the chance and hide your weapons, disobeying the written ordinances, or take a chance that the police would ALWAYS be there to protect you from the bad guys and give up all?  Just asking.  You prepare by thinking of what you may do in advance, and not necessarily by telling others what you would do.

If you had gold, silver, or other things, do you turn in everything at face value if there was an executive order, “for the good of the nation” you know?  Maybe you would get them back if some court overturned the order?  Maybe not?  What will you risk to prepare for such a thing.

In Nazi Germany killing Jews in camps was legal.  In Mao’s China starving people for the good of the “people” was legit.  Was Stalin within the law as he said he was when he directly caused similar deaths in Russia?  Remember, I will never tell you to violate the law, but I will tell you to prepare and think what will you do.

In China, it is illegal to participate in churches not approved of by the government.  Not everyone is aware that there are many underground churches, hidden from plain view.  The people that joined them are prepared to risk it all.  I wonder what people here would do if they had to do the same?  I hear the Chinese have a lot of home church meetings there.  I wonder if many would ever be prepared for that possibility here?

 

Best For Last

Of all the things you may prepare for, you need to prepare for eternity.  If you get all of the above and more exactly right, but miss this last one, all would be for naught.  You need to be right with God as your first priority.

A long time ago someone confronted me as to where I was going to spend eternity.  He was right in that I did not know for sure.  I since chose repentance and the mercy of God, via the blood Jesus shed for me.  That is the short version of it.  I’d be happy to go into details with any that have questions on this.

Participation in a good church goes a long way.  And a good pastor can do a lot for you.  Learning what Scripture says on a lot of stuff is very beneficial.  Good for prep too.

 

Conclusion

I prepare daily in some kind of way.  I pray, I read, I make short term and sometimes longer plans.  Not all are the best, so I work on what I can and refine things here and there.  I learned it is wise to pick your battles.  I can not fight everything.  I can not warn everyone about all my concerns.  But if you read this far, I got something done today.

I have used this motto often enough – “Expect the best, but prepare for the worse!”  You will not go into shock so quickly if you keep that in mind and you had some plan on what to do.

I had a lot more that I could have written, but I was not planning on a book or a seminar.  If any want either of those, try http://www.the11hr.com/, by one of my preacher friends, Tyler Woods.  He does general preparedness seminars, and wrote a book on it.  I reviewed his book two years ago.  Another friend, Bill Rhetts, was doing good seminars on being prepared for terrorist threats.  I am not sure if he still does these.  His web site is http://www.hi-caliber.org/.  Bill is a private investigator by trade and a retired cop as well.  The contact info for both is on their web sites.

There is more stuff out there.  I have a copy of the Army survival manual.  Copy “fm_21-76_us_army_survival_manual” into your favorite search engine and you will find several sites that have free PDF copies you can download.

I look at these and other web site sometimes for ideas.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/index.html

http://www.survivalblog.com/

https://preparedchristian.net/

 

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Filed Under: General Preparedness

Lessons from Hurricane Sandy

November 5, 2012 by

It’s been almost a week since Hurricane Sandy reached the East Coast.  There are still millions affected in her wake.  Because there are so many still affected, I hesitate to write this, but I think there are lessons to be learned that will have more of an impact now, since this is still a current event.

 

Losing it all

Sometimes there are events like hurricanes and tornadoes that are so big, no matter how prepared you are, you lose everything you own.  In these events only having a cache of supplies at a location away from your home would still be useful.  You could have an agreement with a friend or relative to each store some supplies at the others home.  You could also rent a small storage unit.  This would ensure you have clothes, copies of important documents and possibly even some food or other preparations.

 

Looting and lawlessness

Looting is a very large problem.  One resident is quoted saying ‘It’s like the Wild West’.  The article goes on to say, “With little police presence on the storm-ravaged streets, many residents of the peninsula have been forced to take their protection into their own hands, arming themselves with guns, baseball bats and even bows and arrows to ward off thugs seeking to loot their homes.”

I have mentioned a few times in the past that defending and protecting your family and possibly your neighborhood may fall on you and your neighbor’s shoulders.  This hurricane is an excellent reminder.  There were also reports of people dressing like Con Ed workers and a Red Cross worker to gain access to restricted areas to loot.

Here is an article from the New York Times called In New York’s Public Housing, Fear Creeps In With the Dark.  It explains that people who live in areas of New York that are without power fear the dark, because of the crimes committed in it.  This isn’t just when the sun goes down, but also in windowless stairways and the like.  What I took away from that article wasn’t just that the dark was to be feared, but how the blackout brought citizens together and bonded them into a community.

“In the meantime, heroes emerged among public housing residents, with those well prepared and able helping those who were not.”

And

“There’s a sense of community,” said Darryl MacCullum, 24, who lives at the Jacob Riis Houses in the East Village, where the tidal surge had, for a time, ringed the buildings like moats. “Neighbors I usually don’t talk to, I talk to now.”

The residents cooked for each other, eager to not waste food that was thawing fast. At the Red Hook Houses on Wednesday night, there was an impromptu outdoor barbecue for 25 people, with hamburgers, frankfurters and ribs sizzling on grills. “

In times of crisis police and other emergency services are pushed to their limit. I was told in CERT that there are 300 civilians for every first responder.  Because of this we need to be prepared to meet our five basic human needs.

 

Those Unprepared to Last a Week

As I stated above, there are some events that you just cannot prepare for.  When there is a direct hit, you lose everything.  This section is not directed at those people.  It is aimed at those who did not heed the call to evacuate and were ill prepared to last the aftermath of the hurricane.  In this article from ABC News, people were pleading for help just three days after the hurricane.  They were asking their elected officials for clothing, food, water and gas.  Below is a video of the reporter showing how people were dumpster diving to get food to eat.

 

 

I’m not sharing any of this to put down the ill prepared, but to show how truly ill prepared so many people are and also to show how quickly people will begin to panic because of their lack of resources.

 

Gas Shortages and Rationing

There have been multiple reports of lines of people over a mile long waiting to get gasoline. Here is a report from a CBS New York affiliate stating “Drivers Waiting For 6 Hours At Midtown Gas Station”. In New Jersey Governor Christie Orders Odd-Even Rationing System For Filling Up Gas Tanks.

“Residents with license plates ending in an odd number can make gas purchases on odd-numbered days of the month Residents with plates ending in an even number will be able to buy gas on even-numbered days, the governor said.”

Imagine only being able to purchase gas on even days and then having to wait in line for six hours to get it. I have said before that our economy runs on oil, but for many of these people the fuel also runs their refrigerator and gives them a means to charge their cell phones to communicate with the outside world.

 

Government Incompetence

There were many complaints after Hurricane Katrina about the government’s poor response.  Many people are not aware that the federal government has to be invited in by state government and that is what caused the delay.  You would think there would have been a better response to Hurricane Sandy, but in many ways there hasn’t been.

The New York City Marathon saw many police officers, large generators, food and water diverted to it instead of to the relief effort. As of this morning they canceled the marathon, but the generators sat unused.

FEMA has a policy called “Lean forward” that calls for advanced staging of supplies.  Here is a report that says “FEMA failed to have any meaningful supplies of bottled water — or any other supplies”.

This goes to show that even when the government means well they are often incompetent.  The larger an enterprise of any kind is, the more ineffective they can become.  Often the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing, or what either should be doing.

 

My Take:

Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you’re fairly well prepared to last at least a week.  This hurricane should be a wake-up call for many, to have a minimum level of preparedness to meet their five basic human needs.  But there have been many wake-up calls in our recent past that were not heeded.  Because of this, there will be plenty of chances in the future for those of us who are better prepared to be the heroes mentioned above and to be light to the world.

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set, Signs of the Times Tagged With:

Keeping Watch Once It’s Hit the Fan

November 2, 2012 by

If society falls apart, even for a limited time, it would be a good idea to post a watch.   This can assure that your family or group stays protected and rested.   In Light, Sound and Smell Discipline I covered some things that should be considered at all times once its hit the fan.  This goes for being on watch too.  Below are other things to keep in mind while on watch.

I stood many watches while I was in the Navy.  Those watches were much different.  There are, however, many principles that are the same.  Please add your suggestions in the comments section below.

 

Staying Awake

This is probably the most important thing and can be one of the hardest.   In a time when stress and tension are high for an extended period, you might not get a lot of rest.  After a few days without rest, your mind easily wanders off and your body rebels to get sleep, especially when things are quiet at night, but your family and friends are counting on you to stay awake to keep them safe.

Staying awake can be a real challenge.  What works to keep one person awake won’t necessarily work for the next person.  It might help to keep moving.  Your mind may still drift off, but it can snap back as long as you’re awake.  You can’t fall asleep if you’re walking.  Well, I suppose you can, but not for very long!  LOL.  Be thinking of things that help you stay awake now that don’t completely distract you.  Make a note of them.

The trouble with caffeine and other stimulants it is that they can affect you after your watch has ended and interfere with your rest.  The four hour energy “shots” might not be a bad option if they work for you, they just make me yawn louder.  If you do decide to use coffee or other stimulants, limit them so you won’t be awake after your watch has ended and so you don’t have to step away for repeated restroom trips.

Taking small shifts is a must.  In the Navy, we stood mostly four hour watches.  Some of you might be tempted to take a longer watch to give your family more rest.  Don’t.  Everyone needs their rest and your family needs you to be rested as well.  The longer you delay sleep, the harder your mind and body will rebel.  In a training school in the Navy, I had a young man in my class who, for some reason, could not stay awake.  He was told to stand up during a lecture and still fell asleep.  The instructor gave him a three foot 2×4 and made him hold it over his head.  By the end of the day, this young man had two knots on the top of his head.  I share this just to show you that sometimes your body simply shuts down.  Rest when it’s your turn or you’ll be more of a danger to your loved ones.

 

It’s Called “Watch” Not “Defend”

If you hear something that goes bump in the night, wake others up, depending on how big of a bump it was.  If you go check it out on your own and are overpowered, there is no one to sound the alarm.

If you go with a buddy system you have two sets of eyes and ears to look for what made the noise, and two people to defend if needed.

 

Communication

If you’re standing watch and see or hear something, being able to radio someone to wake them allows you to continue to observe what is going on.  I have recently become an affiliate for Midland radios.  I did so because I have a few Midland products and think highly of them.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will receive a small commission if you purchase from them by clicking on the image to the right or the Midland text here.  The Midland two way radios or any higher quality FRS two way radio would be a good fit here.

 

Sound the Alarm

If danger is imminent, having a fast way to wake everyone is a good idea.  If you want to maintain the element of surprise, sending someone to give everyone a quick shake might be the only option.  If the element of surprise is lost and you just need bodies fast, an idea I had was for small air horns.  I bought a bunch of them at the $1 store.

 

Neighborhood watch

If you have developed a neighborhood watch, you might develop have a stationary watch at a main entrance or two, having a roving watch that goes between the two.   This is another area where having radios for fast communication is essential.  Depending on the size and density of your area, a two way FRS radio should work ok.  If not, moving up to a CB is a good option.

 

Rules of Engagement

Having the response planned ahead of time is crucial.  Now is the time to be thinking about what you might do if society is erupting and you hear a noise a house or two away at 02:00.  Does this response change if there is no established rule of law?

You should also have defined what everyone’s job is, even if it is to stay with the kids and reassure them and keep them as quiet as possible.

 

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Filed Under: Security Tagged With: ,

The Preparedness Review

November 1, 2012 by

Many of you might be familiar with The Prepper Website, which is a fantastic website that lists a huge amount of preparedness articles from many sites in the preparedness community.  Todd Sepulveda, the creator of The Prepper Website has released The Preparedness Review, which is a biannual publication that will be released in the fall and spring of each year. I was honored to be asked by Todd to contribute an article for its Inaugural Edition, which has been released today.

The The Preparedness Review is in downloadable PDF format so you can read it off line.  I read through a copy yesterday and it is loaded with great information from many different authors and covers many different areas.

I want to thank Todd for all of his work with both The Prepper Website and The Preparedness Review.  He has really helped bring a lot of attention to Prepared Christian.  For that and for all of the great information he has brought to light from other sites, I am very grateful.

I highly recommend you head over to The Preparedness Review and get your copy today!

Filed Under: Preparedness Tips

Light, Sound and Smell Discipline

October 31, 2012 by

While I hope and pray we never see the worst case scenario where society truly does just collapse, I still think about what it might look like from time to time.  It’s a good exercise for seeing possible shortcomings as well as potential dangers.  If we do see things melt down, the rules change and you have to be ready to adapt quickly to keep you and yours safe.  Today I want to give you some things to consider.  Think about how you might make use of them should the need ever arise, while praying to God it never does.

 

Light Discipline

My neighborhood has underground power lines, so we very rarely lose power.  When we do it is usually short lived.  The power went out this week shortly after I got up at 06:00.  It was still dark outside for the next hour and a half, as we sat in battery powered lamp light.  I looked outside a few times and noticed that there were no lights on anywhere, but I could easily see that someone was moving through their home with a flashlight.

If society does fall off the rails, even for a few nights, you need to make sure you’re using as little light inside at night as possible.  Now, if you have a room where you have somehow completely blacked out the windows, you might be ok using a candle or battery powered lamp.  If you have to move through the house, you might be better off letting your eyes adjust and sticking the flashlight in a cloth to let just a little light escape to guide you.

One option for flashlights is to use colored lenses.  They provide less light but it is harder to pick them up at a distance.  If you use say a red lens and turn your flashlight on from a dark room, you won’t lose your night vision when you turn it back off.

If I was Joe Dirtbag and was looking for someone who might be home during a meltdown, I would do one of two things; climb to the top of a tall building or water tower and look for light, or walk through people’s backyards looking for signs of light.  Keep this in mind, just because there will not be any light visible from the front of your house, doesn’t mean there is no light visible.

 

Sound Discipline

I live in the burbs, not far from a busy highway.  Even so, aside from traffic sound, it still gets quiet here at night.  Much to my chagrin, noise travels very well, and on a quiet night we can hear people from a few houses away.  Right now, aside from being annoying at times, it isn’t that big of a deal.  If things meltdown and Joe Dirtbag starts listening for anything that stands out, it might be a bigger deal.

This can be a much more difficult thing to manage, as I can control when and how lights are on, but I have four dogs and one of them, I joke, barks at gnats farting outside.  So this is something I have given some thought to, as should you if you have dogs or young children who may be scared or hungry and unpredictably loud.

I don’t care for the idea of muzzling the dogs for an extended time, so I honestly don’t have a good solution.  Bugging out might be the only choice.

 

Smell Discipline

In a survival situation, I know many of you will be eating those beans and rice, so this might be a lost cause. (LOL, just kidding.)  I’m thinking more along the lines of things that smell good and draw attention.   Many of us have some food stored.  One might think that it is safer to cook at night, as it can hide smoke.  While that might be true, you can’t hide the smell very well.  It is very easy to tell when someone is grilling in my neighborhood.  I bet I could track down the house in a matter of minutes just by smell alone.  The smell of something like an MRE might not carry as far as something that is home cooked.  This is just something to keep in mind.

 

Turning to Your Advantage

You can also use these things to your advantage.  Let’s say the power wasn’t out and I saw someone moving with a flashlight at my neighbor’s house.  Or let’s say that things have gone very bad and everyone in your area is staying put and not making much noise.  If you hear yelling or glass breaking it would stand out and should be paid close attention too.

 

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Filed Under: Security Tagged With: ,

Oil and What it Means For Our Future

October 29, 2012 by

 

For better or worse our economy is tied to oil, so I want to connect a few dots and explain, in part, why that is and what it means for our future.

 

Why Are We So Dependent On Oil?

To fully understand this, we need to go back to oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller.  Mr. Rockefeller believed that oil was a gift from God and he was determined to find as many uses for it as he could.  Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t completely altruistic.  This also meant higher profits, as he could make money from the parts of oil that many other people were dumping in rivers and lakes as waste.  Some of the uses they discovered were gasoline, tar for paving streets, lubricating oil, Vaseline and paraffin for making candles.  Today oil and oil byproducts are used in those things listed above as well as polyester and other clothing blends, many plastics, many medications, such as cortisone and aspirin, not to mention the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, which is reported to make up 2/3 of the oil that is used.

 

Harvesting Oil

The theme song from the Beverly Hillbillies said that Jed Clampett was “shooting at some food, missed and up from the ground came bubbling crude”.  While this is an exaggeration as to how easy it used to be, it’s not a huge one.  It used to be very easy to find and drill for oil, and the very first attempts to refine it weren’t much more than boiling it.

The same cannot be said today.  All easy to harvest oil has long been harvested.  Crews have to drill many miles deep into the ocean, which is dangerous and expensive.  There are vast amounts of oil shale, but oil shale is mined in the form of rocks that have solid bituminous materials that are released as petroleum like liquid when the rock is heated in the chemical process known as pyrolysis.  So, while it is there, is it harder to get than traditional oil deposits.

Due to several federal regulations on oil exploration, drilling and refining, the United States will always be a net importer of its oil.

 

Peak Oil

There is some confusion when it comes to this term, so let me define my use of it.  Peak oil is simply the point at which we have reached the peak of oil production.  This could but doesn’t necessarily mean that an oil field that has hit peak oil is running out of oil, just that it has hit the limit in the amount it can produce.

The problem that peak oil causes is that, in the last decade, China, India and some other developing countries, have seen a massive increase in the amount of cars and drivers, which means a massive increase in the amount of gasoline and diesel needed to fuel them.

This is nothing to worry about as long as the largest oil fields and the world’s leading oil producing nations stay out of peak oil.  As you can see from this story, Mexico’s Cantarell oil field, which is the world’s largest oil field, has reached peak oil and is, in fact, declining in production.  This report from CNN says “WikiLeaks cable: Saudi oil estimates may have been exaggerated”

It reports that:

“Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves may have been grossly overestimated and its capacity to continue pumping at current capacity exaggerated, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable sent from the kingdom in 2007.”

 

Alternative Energies

I don’t know of any alternative energy that could replace oil.  Some might say “what about solar?”  Solar panels are very expensive to make, thus very expensive to purchase and install.  I have seen estimates of $20,000 on the front end, which could take 20 years to pay for themselves.  By that time you would need to start replacing panels and would have already been replacing batteries.  There were several solar companies who were given millions of tax payer dollars by our current administration.  We have all seen the reports of them going bankrupt.

Wind just doesn’t produce enough energy for it to be viable to replace oil.  Sure, it could be used in tandem to reduce some of the oil consumption, but I haven’t seen enough information to know if this would be cost effective or be like solar and pay for itself near the end of its life.

Don’t get me wrong, I think we should keep looking for ways to make alternative energy a viable option.  I have to be realistic and say that there is a very good chance that America will be tied to oil to meet our energy needs forever.

 

What Does All OF This Mean For Our Future?

Simply put; higher prices for everything.  Remember all of the items I listed that oil are used in its production?  That was just a fraction of the many items.  I have seen lists with over 6,000 items on them.  Even if you find an item that used zero oil in its production, there was still fuel used to bring the parts together or to ship it to its destination.

Remember that I said an estimated 2/3 of oil is used for fuel, including the fuel you use to drive your vehicle.  It is also used to power the ships, planes, trains and trucks that deliver goods all over the world.

There are places in the world right now where a gallon of gas costs $7.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that much in my gas budget.  That means if prices ever get that high here, the money will have to come from something else.

 

What Can We Do?

I think the best thing we can do is pay attention and be thinking about it.  Be conscious of the electronics that are left on 24/7 and how much power they soak up.  As gas prices rise it may be prudent to look for car pool opportunities to get to work.  I know MNDOT has initiatives to put car poolers together and your state may as well.

What other ideas do you have on things we can do to prepare for rising energy costs?

 

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Filed Under: Energy/Power, Signs of the Times Tagged With:

Signs of (worse) Financial Turmoil

October 24, 2012 by

Image by Christian Ferrari
 

 

In the article I wrote last week ”What Does Civil Unrest Look Like and How Can You Stay Safe Near It?” reader JP  commented that:

“Warning signs I’ve thought of would be banks closing doors as soon as several people begin withdrawing all they have. My wife worked for a bank years ago(18 yrs) and I remember her telling me that they had trained them to prepare to shut and lock all doors when told by the manager to do so. Then proceed out the back door if its safe and go home. This situation would begin with multiple people wanting to withdraw all their money from the bank. If you knew someone that worked in a bank they might be able to give you a heads up.”

I replied with an anecdote (that I’ll share below) and both got me thinking about other financial warning signs and that some might come too late to do much good. I am an economic novice, but I am a student of history and have paid enough attention to the economy to feel comfortable pointing out signs to be aware of. I have mentioned many times that the overall economy is in bad shape, so these are not signs to look for general health. Rather these are things to look for which might hint that the economy is going to get even worse.

 

Defaulting Municipalities

I have touched on this in other articles but we are seeing more and more cities and counties filing for bankruptcy, which you can keep track of on the Municipal Bankruptcies Map. If your city or county government can’t pay its bills and defaults, the existing bills might be taken care of, but what about future expenditures? Hard decisions and cuts will need to be made that will affect everyone in the area of a defaulted municipality. Look at Greece, Spain and the United Kingdom for a peek of our future. Austerity measures will be enacted out of necessity either by forward looking municipalities or by whomever takes receivership of defaulted ones. In the countries I listed riots have followed these austerity measures, or even at the suggestion of them, will we see differently?

 

Falling Stock Market

I know very little about the stock market, but if you look at the big hits, there are often many small hits leading up to a nosedive. If the market slides for a few days and there are other signs, such as oil prices or rising unemployment, it might be prudent to move to something safer, at least until things level out.  If someone more familiar with the stock market has other warning signs please post them in the comment section.

 

Failing Banks

If there is talk of large banks failing, keep an eye out and don’t just expect there to be another bailout. In 2008, Iceland’s three largest commercial banks went into receivership over the course of one week and the banks were nationalized. This led to bank runs and nearly led to the entire country going bankrupt. I have seen reports where the value of their currency declined by 50% and their stock market declined by 90%. With the Weiss quarterly bank ratings you can have some idea of how your bank is doing. Granted, it’s only quarterly but it’s better than nothing.

 

Bank Runs

A bank run is a late sign that there is trouble. The anecdote I made to JP Scott’s comment was this:

“Thanks JP. You’re correct that those are both bad signs. A related note on banks; we pulled out a sum of cash a few years ago and were told that most branches only kept $5,000 at any one time. I think since people started using credit and debit cards so frequently, they scaled back the amount they keep on hand. Even if there was a bank run, there is a chance that not many people will get all their money on the spot.”

I say “on the spot” because your account is insured by the FDIC. I can’t say how long it might take to get your funds back. This is a very strong argument for keeping enough cash on hand to pay your bills and to purchase needed items for a couple of weeks to a month. Some banks may keep more cash on hand, but I know from firsthand experience that not all do.

This is also an argument against keeping emergency funds in a safe deposit box. Because banks are still training people the way they did JP’s wife, to lock the door, who knows when you’ll get access to that box?

 

So What Can Be Done When These Things Happen?

If you live in an area in risk of defaulting, you could move. Since this might not be possible or even prudent, planning is about the best you can do. Plan to see some services stop, as I mention in ”What We May See at the End of 2012 that is not related to the Mayans”. Cities, such as Oakland California, have had their Police Departments stop responding to certain crimes. In other cities there are some services that are being stopped or scaled back, such as turning off the street lights.

For the stock market, you can move your money into safer investments. You can also hold cash or invest in precious metals or land.

There isn’t much you can do about failing banks except be aware of them and that they may or may not be bailed out. Either way it causes pain, either now by letting them fail, or to future generations by having to bear the tax burden.  If you bank with a bank that is in trouble, moving your money could speed along their implosion, but not moving it could could slow you getting all of your funds back.

Bank runs, as I mentioned, are not going to ensure you get all of your savings. Most banks also have limits on daily withdraws from ATMs, so don’t plan on getting it all that way either.

I think the best plan is to continue to prepare and work toward having some cash tucked away, and be ready for unemployment and crime to go up as we see these warning signs.

 

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Filed Under: Finance, Signs of the Times Tagged With:

Rising Crime and Limited Law Enforcement

October 22, 2012 by

A note before today’s article: Camping Survival has really stepped up to the plate and given me 3 1000’ spools of paracord to give away. I will be picking the second random winner this afternoon and the last none Monday October 29th. If you want to enter the drawing you have until then. If you have already entered that entry will just be carried over for the new giveaway’s so no need to reenter. If you didn’t enter then send one in for the new drawings.
My email is: chris (at) preparedchristian.net

Again, my many thanks to Camping Survival for supporting the Prepared Christian community!


 

 

Rising Crime and Limited Law Enforcement

 

Mike from Mass sent me an email with a very interesting article.  This is a subject I have touched on before but I want to take a deeper look at it with you today.  The article entitled Armed posse patrols timber land in sheriff’s place is about a rural county in Oregon that has had its Sheriff’s Department shrunken to 3 deputies who patrol for eight hours a day, five days a week due to budget cuts.  Because of this and rising crime, some residents have taken to different forms of assisting the Sheriff.  One of these forms, as the title explains, has been forming armed posse’s to patrol the county.

The reason I want to take a deeper look at this is because I think many of us can relate to a statement made by Sam Nichols in the article, which states:

“I believe in standing up for myself rather than waiting for the government to do something for me,”

I think this is something we will see more of for a variety of reasons.  For instance, in Oakland California, police will no longer respond to certain crimes, which is similar to the circumstances that are in the article; because of cuts, police and sheriff departments are limited in their patrols.  I also think that because of impending economic slowness we will see a rise in crime, as can be seen in this story from USA Today; Violent crime rises sharply, reversing trend.  I think we will see an uptick in crime from people who’re hungry and looking for ways to make ends meet.  I’m not justifying it, just explaining that we will see a different percentage of the population committing crime.

 

Formation of a Posse

A posse is essentially made up of unpaid civilians who assist local law enforcement.  I think there are two ways to go about forming one.  The first is what the Citizens Against Crime did in the story from Oregon that is mentioned above.  From the sounds of the story, they patrol armed with little or no formal training and report crimes to the Sheriff’s Department.

Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson is quoted saying:

“They need to really understand there are consequences that can be very costly, physically as well as legally,” he said, explaining that volunteers could get sued or shot if they pull a gun on someone or make a false arrest.

“Most of them haven’t had what I feel is an adequate level of training to do that they do,” he said. “But if they serve as eyes and ears and only report what they see to law enforcement, I think they can keep themselves at a safe level.”

The Sheriff brings up some excellent points, but we shouldn’t necessarily let that keep citizens from forming a posse in times when, for whatever reason, local law enforcement is unable to meet the needs of the community.

An approach that I think is better is one that the Pinal County Sheriff from Arizona did by forming armed anti-smuggling volunteer posse.  The county has a large problem with Mexican cartels trafficking in drugs and humans, so the Sheriff formed a posse to help “bring the heavy hand of enforcement to those who think they can smuggle drugs or humans”.

From the article:

“According to a news release from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the ASP will provide “surveillance and intelligence support to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Regional SWAT during tactical operations they perform against the Mexican Drug Cartels in western Pinal County.”…

“ASP members are required to pass a full background investigation, and will be trained on Pinal Sheriff’s Office Policy and Procedures, the news release stated. The armed posse members will be required to take quarterly training and qualifications. The members will receive tactical training before any operations.”

This Sheriff saw a need and a potential resource and took the time to make sure he was using people without a criminal record (that is not to say that the men from Oregon might have a criminal background).  He trained them and they undergo quarterly training which is as much as some police departments require.

A posse is usually formed for a short time and with a specific task.  I think an ongoing force is more in line with what the original militia was created to do; to augment local law enforcement with armed, trained civilians who have their own rank and command structure.

 

While We Have the Rule of Law

In this time while we still have the rule of law, we are not the sole means of law enforcement.  You may decide to join a posse or militia to assist local law enforcement.  The following are some things to keep in mind.

 

Citizen’s Arrest

I’m sure everyone reading this has heard of making a citizen’s arrest, but do you know what making one entails?  I am not a lawyer or giving legal advice.  These comments should be viewed as information, not law.  Many states allow a citizen to make an arrest for felonies committed in their presence.  You are allowed the use of reasonable force to subdue the felon until the police arrive.  You do not need to read them their rights.  That’s the job of the police officers who will file the police report.  If you are mistaken and the suspected felon did not, in fact, commit a felon, or you used too much force, you may open yourself up to a lawsuit or to facing charges and jail time yourself.   Here is an article from the Art of Manliness called How to Make a Citizens Arrest that goes deeper into the subject.

 

Buddy System

The buddy system is something I learned of in the Navy.  It means that you never go anywhere alone; always go with at least one buddy.  I can tell you from personal experience that using the buddy system saved me a few times.  There really is safety in numbers.

 

Communication

Being able to provide accurate, minute by minute information with instant and reliable communication is vital.  If you’re a part of a Sheriff sponsored posse, you will most likely be given a radio and trained in how to use it.  If you form a posse or militia with some other concerned citizens, one of the first things you should look into is communication.

 

Know Your Role

I honestly don’t know if a posse formed by a sheriff would provide the same umbrella of protection to its members that the sheriff and deputies would have.  If you form a posse with other citizens you are just that, a citizen.  You might be well advised to take the advice of the sheriff from Oregon :

“If they serve as eyes and ears and only report what they see to law enforcement, I think they can keep themselves at a safe level.”

 

Being Armed

If you have been a reader of this site for a while, you know I am a strong supporter of the second amendment.  I believe it is the responsibility of each citizen to be able to protect themselves.  With that being said, you need to think long and hard and pray about taking a firearm with you if you are going to put yourself in a situation where you’re essentially looking for trouble for the purpose of reporting it.

If George Zimmerman from Florida wouldn’t have had his firearm with him when he saw Trayvon Martin, he may have been less likely to follow and confront him and may have just called police.  Now, I am not saying you shouldn’t.  I’m saying you need to understand the ramifications of your decision.  If you are looking for criminals for the purpose of reporting them to police and are armed, there is the potential for gunplay because you brought a firearm.

Carrying a gun may also give a little extra courage to some, but just because you put on a cape doesn’t mean you can fly.  If you are level headed, can legally own and carry a firearm and are trained in its use, then move forward with caution.

I also think that if you carry a firearm, whether it is just for conceal and carry, or as an armed member of a posse, you should have other means to defend yourself.  When I carry, I have pepper spray, a flashlight that can be used as a striking implement and am trained in an Israeli based form of Real World Self-Defense called Haganah.  If I was patrolling, I would also carry either a larger flashlight or an asp to use for striking.  If you only have a hammer in the tool box, you see every problem as a nail.  I like to have as many options as I can legally.

 

Without the Rule of Law

I really hope and pray we never see a time when we no longer have the rule of law.  I think it would take an unlikely event such as an EMP or other far-reaching event to remove the rule of law.  Even though I believe it is unlikely we will see a time when there is no law enforcement to enforce the rule of law, I still think we have to be aware of it.  How will it affect us in the area we live?  How will we respond?

All of the things listed in the section “While We Have the Rule of Law” will still apply, with the exception of maybe citizen’s arrest.  If there is no law enforcement to retrieve the felon from you, you must think now about what you might do if you witness a felony.

There have been many of these types of situations discussed in several survival fiction books such as Lights Out or One Second After.  These and others have helped me think through some of the possible situations we may face without the rule of law.

 

What Will You Do?

Have you thought about whether or not you would ever join a posse to help enforce the law?  Would it matter if it was created and trained by the sheriff?  Have you thought about how life may be different without the rule of law and what you might do?

 

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Filed Under: Security, What Would You Do? Tagged With: , ,

A Great Twist to the Rule of Threes

October 19, 2012 by

Today I want to share with you an email I received from a visitor that I think has a fantastic spin on the rule of threes.  I am posting the email, with his permission, below.  My take on it is added afterward.

 

From Mike from Mass

“Hi Chris,
First off, thanks for this site.  it has been a good resources for our family, mostly in confirming our lifestyle when juxtaposing our preparedness with scripture, as well as lots of practical info…great stuff.
A quick story:  years ago, when our family was first starting down the “prepper” road, I had spoken to a guy who told me about the “rule of Three’s”.  Years later I had googled it and found a completely different “rule” than what I was told by this gentleman.  The traditional “rule of three’s” deals with the “3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days etc.”  but what I had been taught was basically this: Make sure to have 3 ways to provide for each basic human need.  The first way is what we do every day; ex. food: grocery store (or farming/gardening, if you already do it).

The second would be ready to come into play if the first failed, the third way if the second failed, etc.  so for food, one might set up their rule of three like this:
1. Grocery Store/Pantry
2. Stored/canned reserves
3. hunting/gardening

or for water:
1. Faucet
2. Stored water
3. Rain water/river collection followed by boiling/filtration

I used this format recently (applied to your listing of the 5 basic human needs)in a preparedness workshop I did with my church homegroup.

I only mention it to you because I haven’t seen or read much on this approach to preparedness. It may be a good blog post for you to put up there.  I know that it’s been a very good model for our family.   For each person/family, their “three ways” are going to be different. For instance, someone living in an apartment will have to prepare differently than someone living in a home with land.

Anyway…Thanks again, brother, for using the gifts God has blessed you with to give info to others.  Keep up the good work.

Mike from Mass “

 

My Take

First, thank you for sending this email Mike.  It will be great food for thought for the rest of the community.  I also want to thank you for the compliment.  I am glad that you found the site and that it has been helpful with the cognitive dissonance you felt between your preparedness lifestyle and Scripture.

I love this spin on the rule of threes.  It was a wise man who taught you that and you were smart to follow it.  I have mentioned a few times that having redundancy for things like backup power is important but this takes it to another level.

Ensuring that you have three ways to meet all of the basic human needs is a high level of redundancy and will make sure your family has their needs met.  I also think that if you apply this to your skill sets, you will have a deep pool of knowledge.  For example, if you only know one way to make fire and you lose your lighter, you might be up a crick.  If you know three ways and lose your lighter but know how to use a bow drill, you can go about looking for the right pieces of wood.

 

Thanks again Mike from Mass for sharing!

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Preparedness Tips
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